Big Time Rush to Play Marcus Amphitheater July 6

For those of you who loved boy bands in the past, you might want to check out Big Time Rush at the Marcus Amphitheater on July 6. They are the latest headline act to be booked for Summerfest, and fans are already excited to the show. From the start of their television show with the same title, the Nickelodeon talent factory knew that they had a hit on their hands. It was only a matter of time before those same four kids hit the road.

In the fall of 2010, their first album came out to mixed reviews. With songs like "Music Sounds Better with U," and "Love Me Love Me," one can guess that this group was geared for teen-aged girls. The band was created with the full intent to drive sales to that same group. It took a massive casting call effort to find the right kids to fill the roles. Once the pieces of the puzzle are laid out for those magical masters at Nickelodeon, it's just a matter of putting them together to create one heck of a good product. Catch the band at Summerfest, or enjoy their show on cable television.

By the time that the band hits the Summerfest stage, we will know if they won the Kids Choice Award for Favorite Music Group in 2012. They have already won a Teen TV award for the same category. Are these the Monkeys of the current decade? One would say yes.

Iron Maiden Summerfest 2012 with Alice Cooper

Iron Maiden will be the featured act on July 4 at Summerfest Milwaukee. Alice Cooper will open the show, which will be held at the Marcus Amphitheater. Iron Maiden Summerfest tickets go on sale March 3, and vary in price, depending on how close you want to sit. Iron Maiden hit the top of the charts in 2011 with their latest album. Maiden features the very distinctive vocal styling of Bruce Dickinson.

Alice Cooper will open the show with their amazing theatrics. Cooper is an avid golfer but still finds time to tour the country with a group of talented musicians. Alice Cooper is famous for the song titled "School's Out." In 2010, Alice Cooper hit the road on what was called the "Gruesome Twosome" tour with Rob Zombie. From time to time, Alice will make an appearance on stage. He was even spotted on the famous car show from Britain called Top Gear. Alice Cooper is sure to please the Milwaukee Summerfest fans.

Beach Boys Summerfest 2012 in Milwaukee

The Beach Boys will perform at Summerfest on July 1. They will headline the Marcus Amphitheater, as part of their 2012 tour. This will be the first time that the group has reunited in such a long time. They are getting together to celebrate their 50th anniversary. These surf rockers will surely entertain the masses, both young and old. Beach Boys tickets go on sale on February 25. Is a Beach Boys album in the works? Sources say yes.

The Beach Boys go all the way back to 1962, when they found a hit song in “Surfin.” Yes the first version of the song barely broke into the top 100 of the charts, but the band was on their way to fame. They re-recorded the song Sufin’ Safari in the spring of 1962, and that was just the tonic for a song that seemed to be ailing. The song cracked the top twenty on the charts by the summer. Another chart topping song was Little Deuce Coupe that cracked the top five. It was just two years later when the band had their first number one song. I get around was the hit that brought them the most fame.

Beach Boys Come Home to Pet Sounds
Brian Wilson stayed home during one of their tours in the mid 1960’s. He stayed behind and recorded the now famous album Pet Sounds. That album is known for songs like Wouldn’t it be Nice, and Caroline No. The band wasn’t so sure about the lush sounds of the disk. Beach Boys fans didn’t support the album very much either. Brian Wilson poured his heart and soul into Pet Sounds, but didn’t wallow in the fact that his hard work was not well received. He went right back into the studio to record Smile. Smile would feature one of the most famous Beach Boys songs in the world. Good Vibration, was inspired by another famous record producer. Late in 1966, that song hit the top of the charts.

By the turn of the 1960’s decade, fans didn’t find the Beach Boys to be changing with the times. They had to make a move to get their names in front of a young crowd. They did that in 1971, when they hooked up with the Grateful Dead. That surge put them back in the spotlight for a few more years, but by the late 1970’s the band had changed as far as lineup, and disco was the sound of America.

It took ten more years for the Beach Boys to hit gold again. Their song Kokomo was part of a Hollywood soundtrack. The song took off, and the band once again had a hit song on their hands. It was the same year that the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

Zac Brown Summerfest Marcus Amphitheater Show

The fourth Summerfest Marcus Amphitheater show for 2012 was announced. Zac Brown will be performing on July 5. Fans will get their first chance for Zac Brown Summerfest tickets next weekend. With this announcement, there are just six more dates to book for the festival.

Zac Brown Band History

Zac Brown started playing guitar at the ripe old age of six. In his teen years, he could be found playing acoustic shows all over the state of Georgia. It would be another ten years before he would put together the Zac Brown Band. Just after 9/11, Brown decided to quit college and devote his life to playing country music. He hit the road with two other musicians, and did the long, hard work of trying to make it big. Success came after six long years of touring. The band signed on with a major label, and re-released the song titled Chicken Fried. By the time the band won their first award for "Best New Artist," they were far from being new.

Marcus Amphitheater Bleacher Seating

The Marcus Amphitheater bleacher seating is just beyond the assigned seats and out in the open. They are not the best seats in the venue, but they have a life of their own. Sometimes, sitting behind all the assigned seats gives you a very interesting perspective. It's like you are watching not only the performers on the stage, but the entire experience. Let's take a moment to pick apart the bleacher seats at the Marcus Amp.

Bleacher Seats at the Marcus

• There are thirteen bleacher sections
• The sections start with row A, and go out to row CC
• Section 9 is all the way to the right, facing the stage
• Section 21 is all the way to the left
• Center sections of the bleachers are numbered 14,15,16
• Some artists will open up the lawn and bleacher sections for free admission

Not every artist that plays the Marcus Amp. will sell out the venue all way back to the bleachers, but it's nice to know that there are affordable seats available for most shows.

Neil Diamond to Headline Summerfest July 8

The closing night of Summerfest will feature Neil Diamond as the headline act at the Marcus Amphitheater. The show date is July 8, with the opening act yet to be announced. Neil Diamond is one of the most successful "adult contemporary" singers in the world, selling well over 100 million albums since he first set foot on stage back in the late 1950's. It all started with a song writing contract. Fifty years later, just about everyone knows a Diamond song or two.

Sweet Caroline Goes Viral

Neil's biggest success came in the early years, with songs like Cracklin' Rosie, and Song Sung Blue. Fast forward to the 1990's and he was still making albums. At that time, he was covering the classics, and producing Christmas albums. Around that same time, one of his most popular songs went viral. Sweet Caroline was one of the songs that was played during Boston College sporting events. Fans took to singing along, and now the song is played at major sporting events throughout the East Coast.

Neil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame twenty six years ago, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just a few months back. Album sales in the United States are close to the 50 million mark for Mr. Diamond. His 2012 tour starts in early June, and runs through most of the summer.

Lady Antebellum Summerfest 2012 Show at Marcus Amphitheater

The first Marcus Amphitheater show for Summerfest 2012 is locked in, and it's Lady Antebellum, with Darius Rucker. The show date is June 30, with tickets going on sale this November. Tickets for the show at the Marcus Amphitheater include admission to Summerfest. This is the first, headline act to be announced for the 2012 festival.